Old trucks are one of the hottest commodities in the hobby and old Chevy trucks are at the top of the heap in this booming market.
The available list of old Chevy reproduction parts would build a new truck and that is part of the appeal but the cool factor is another huge factor.
The only drawback to old trucks is the cab space.
Early 50s trucks were built when people were smaller and slimmer so the cab space is more akin to that found in a 2013 subcompact.
The problem becomes more acute as people get larger and a XXXL professional football player runs at the top of the large scale.
Bruce Semeniuk explained the history behind his ’51 Chevy, “It was stored in a sea can for years and the guy was a lineman for the Edmonton Eskimos. He was a big guy”.
Bruce was mystified by the size of the previous owner in relation to the size of the cab but he understood how the formula worked after he bought the truck, “I didn’t think you could fit a football player in this truck but they pulled out the fuel tank and went to a fuel cell so there was a lot of room behind the seats plus they were lowered so he could fit”.
Despite the extra room the truck didn’t see a lot of time on the road, “He had it for five years but he only put 400 miles on it so it sat for a long time”.
Cars guys know that the best way to wreck an old ride is to let it sit for extended periods of time and this ’51 Chevy truck was no exception, “ There’s always some piddling around with it. The brake light switch stuck on a few times and it’s running pretty rough but you get that when they sit. The problem is you have to reach around the muffler to get at the switch”.
Bruce is counting on the bulletproof power train under the hood to come through in the reliability department, “It’s a 350 300-horse, they’re a great motor-so far it’s been great “.
Bruce added, “It’s an older restoration so there are a few road chips but it’s held up pretty well. The paint looks different in different light”.
This old truck is destined to see a lot more highway under Bruce’s watch, “We’re going to hit a lot of shows like Radium, St. Albert and Smokey Lake. The truck feels like it has 300 horses and so far it’s doing about 17 miles per gallon”.
The miles roll by comfortably in the old Chevy, “It’s got a Nova clip and a boxed-in frame and the master is still under the floor. It drives and rides great.We took it to Good Guys in Puyallup and it did 3600 K without missing a beat”.
Old trucks are like old wine-they get better with age and this ‘51 Chevy is no exception because it has a timeless quality that clearly appeals to legions of fans. This truck was the center piece at the show because it was so well done.
The XXXL football player-sized cab was a bonus.
Jerry Sutherland
